


Maps Won't Show Us

by MiniNephthys



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, Shin Megami Tensei: if...
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-19
Updated: 2013-02-27
Packaged: 2017-11-16 15:26:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Messiah Horns did not come with a user manual, and Setsuna ends up lost among the vast reaches of the multiverse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Another gate, another area for Setsuna to pass into. "Horn of the Messiah! Connect our worlds! Summon a rift at this very spot!"

The usual rift opened, but... when it deposited Setsuna elsewhere... it didn't feel like the connection had been properly made.

* * *

For example, what was a shopping mall doing in Makai?

Setsuna faltered upon seeing the billboards and the rows and rows of products, some even familiar to him. "What is this place? Are we back on Earth?"

Cool shook his head. "No, this doesn't feel like Earth at all. But still, it's not Makai as we know it... We'd better stay careful."

"Right." Picking a random direction, Setsuna started off. When a demon, probably a Nekomata, appeared in his path, he called out to her. "Excuse me, can you help me-"

The Nekomata looked startled and dove out of sight.

"...that was weird. Am I that scary now?" he asked, looking down at Cool.

"I don't think so... Hold on, she's coming back."

The Nekomata peeked around the corner, then appeared, followed by a monkey demon, who cleared his throat and spoke. "You are a human. How can you see us and speak the language of demons? All the other humans we have seen use a silly suit to be able to see demons."

"I've never heard of a suit that can see demons, and I've always been able to see them when they're there," Setsuna said. "My name is Setsuna, and I'm lost. Do you know the way back to Makai?"

Hsing-Hsing rubbed his chin. "Makai is very far from here, and I do not know how a human could make the journey even if he knew the way. Perhaps, you should ask the other humans if they know how to travel? They ended up here after all."

"There are other humans here?" Setsuna asked. "Where can I find them?"

"There is one that passed by recently, but I hid. She should be-" The demon pointed. "-that way."

"Thanks!" Much more relieved now, Setsuna headed in that direction.

He figured he'd found the woman when he ran into someone in a funny-looking suit, like they were in a bad science fiction movie. "Excuse me, are you a human too?"

The woman gasped. "Y-yes, I am. Give me just one second-" She touched something on the side of her helmet. "Zelenin reporting. I've found something - someone. A human child."

Setsuna frowned immediately. "I'm fourteen!"

"-teenager, sorry. He's not wearing a Demonica. Requesting further instructions, over." After a moment or two, she added, " _Yes_ , seriously, Jimenez. I'll transmit to you my visuals. ...Roger, Arthur." She focused on Setsuna aain. "Sorry, could you come with me to somewhere safer? My name's Zelenin. What's yours?"

"Setsuna. You don't have to treat me like a kid..." Sigh. "But I guess that's what adults are supposed to do. I'll come."

Zelenin led him to a large ship. Inside, crewmembers in similar suits worried over him despite repeated protests on his part that he was fine and look he had his own demon with him right there, he could take care of himself. Cool growled at the only person who mentioned that demons weren't allowed to be out and about on the ship, and from then on nobody dared.

A knocking sound came from the outside of the ship.

Arthur's robotic voice, which Setsuna figured he would always think was weird, came over the ship's intercom. "There has been a demon identified outside the ship. Defenses are being raised and all crewmembers are ordered to remain where they are until further notice."

Further knocking, progressively more frequent. A familiar voice came from outside. "Setsuna! I know you're in here!"

Setsuna tried to go towards the exit, but was held back by a few crewmembers. "We won't let him get you!"

"No, I know him-" he tried to explain, but they only held on tighter.

Zett's voice became louder and more annoyed. "Setsuna, if you don't answer I'm going to assume they kidnapped you and are holding you against your will, and I'll start blasting this thing to rescue you."

As the crew of the Red Sprite shushed Setsuna, Cool dashed out and pressed the panel on the wall to open the door to the outside.

One very ticked off demon stepped inside, took a look at the humans holding a struggling Setsuna, and became even more furious. "I knew it! Zio-"

Setsuna finally managed to free himself and tackled Zett to the ground. His bolt of lightning struck the ceiling, knocking out some of the lights.

Cool sighed. "This would have been easier if you had listened to him. Why don't you tell your robot supervisor that there's no problem here?"

One member of the Strike Team spoke up. "Arthur, the situation here is under control. Please return defenses to normal status. You'll need to fix the lights anyway."

"Crewman Alger, you have consistently provided excellent advice. Status will be returned to normal, and priorities will be set on fixing the damaged lights," Arthur answered. "However, please be cautious."

Meanwhile, Setsuna had helped Zett off the floor and explained the situation to him. "You shouldn't just trust everyone like that, even if they are human," Zett said with a sigh. "But I guess that's you. Anyway, there's a problem with the Horns of the Messiah, which you probably figured out by now."

Setsuna snorted. "No kidding."

"I borrowed this Eye of the Messiah from Mirai, so it should still work. And just in case it doesn't, I'm coming with you this time to make sure you get back to Makai safely." Zett tugged on his arm. "C'mon, before they change their minds about me being a _scary demon_."

"Thanks for the help!" Setsuna called back as Zett dragged him off. "Sorry about the lights."

Cool just stuck his nose in the air and followed without a word.

* * *

"Eye of the Messiah! Reveal the path to me! ...now what? This isn't Makai either..."


	2. Chapter 2

The sight before Setsuna and Zett was a school. It was a human high school that, to all inspection, looked to be completely empty of humans.

"This is so weird," Setsuna said, as Cool poked his nose around in a science lab. "Hey, don't stick your nose there, you'll get it stuck in a bunsen burner or something."

"What's a bunsen burner?" Zett asked. "Is that like a summoning portal?"

Setsuna blinked. "No, it's a way to heat things without setting them on fire."

"Oh. Because, this feels like we're in Makai, or _a_ Makai. so I just figured somebody had summoned an entire school into the demon world." Zett nodded, proud of his deduction.

Eyebrow raise. "Why would somebody want to summon a school full of human teenagers? We're not really that good at fighting, like demons are."

"Oh, they probably just needed people to sacrifice," Zett answered. "It happens a lot."

"...Anyway, there's nothing in this room, let's check the next one." Setsuna led them outside the science room and to the last door they hadn't checked.

An old temple, with doors in all directions. Signs indicated that they led to the World of Pride, the World of Gluttony, the World of Sloth, the World of Envy, and the World of Greed. In the center of the temple, a black portal swirled.

"This is weird, aren't wrath and lust missing from the seven deadly sins?" Setsuna asked, immediately poking the portal. Sealed. No way to get in.

Zett shrugged. "They're just high schoolers. Teenage humans can be arrogant, gluttonous and greedy, lazy, or envious. But they probably don't know what real wrath is, the kind that totally consumes you. And who knows what the World of Lust would do to teenagers?"

"You're right." Setsuna took another look around the room. "Well, where do we want to go?"

Cool took a sniff at the door to the World of Sloth. "Not this one. We would be there for hours."

Setsuna peered at it. Just a door. "How do you kn-"

"Trust me."

"All right. Let's try..." Setsuna pointed in a random direction. "The World of Pride?"

"Sounds good enough to me." Zett opened the door, leading the group into a dark place. "This definitely feels like Makai, but- hey, you! Human over there!"

The teenager in white looked over at them. "Don't address the Demon Emperor so crudely," he said, narrowing his eyes at them.

"Pssh." That came from all three of them at once. Zett went on, "There's no way you're Lucifer. He's usually more blonde and always more imposing."

"I'm not." The boy stuck his chin up. "Here, I am even more powerful than the demon Lucifer."

"Oh yeah?" Setsuna asked. "Prove it."

He faltered a little. "Right now?"

"Yeah. You just insulted my father, so if you're not going to help us figure out how we got here, I'm going to have to smack you for that at least once." When the boy hesitated, Setsuna went on, "Well?"

"I am the Demon Emperor, I don't have to fear some kid." The Demon Emperor began to glow. "I'll show you my power!"

Setsuna watched as the teenager's form was replaced by a giant crowned figure. "...Not impressed."

"Me neither," said Zett. "We'll kick his ass."

They kicked his ass.

He shrunk down into his original form. "I-I don't understand why I lost to some random kids... You don't even _go_ to this school..."

"You're just a human teenager," Zett said with a sigh. "You probably don't even know how you managed to get this school into Makai."

The boy glared at them weakly. "That's not true. I-I'm the best summoner that the demon world has ever seen! And all the demons here obey my word!"

"Father really needs to get back to ruling over here then. You're not very good at it," Setsuna said. "What made you want to try anyway? It's got terrible hours and Father's always stressed over something like the world being about to be destroyed or God being an ass."

The teenager sniffed and refused to answer.

"...Hey, summoner. What's your name?" asked Setsuna.

"Ideo Hazama," he answered slowly.

"Ideo, if you're so great, can you send us back where we're supposed to be?"

Startled, Cool said, "Setsuna, I don't think this is a good idea. We just fought him-"

The boy perked up. "Of course I can! I can send you out of here right now." He began muttering in a arcane language.

"Wait, I didn't tell you where we were goiiiiiiing-"


	3. Chapter 3

Setsuna sighed and poked at a ruined sign. "I think this is supposed to be Tokyo? But last time I checked Tokyo wasn't this badly destroyed."

Zett shrugged. "The demons everywhere are new, too. Should we stop somebody and ask for directions? If the Horns don't work, the Eyes don't work, and the last summoner didn't work, I don't have that many better ideas."

"Go for it." Setsuna scanned the area, and spotted a human-shaped demon with tattoos and a big spike coming out of the back of his neck. "Why not that one?"

Casually, Zett strolled over. "Hey. Do you know the quickest way to Makai?"

"Amala Network-" The teenager became more on edge. "How does a demon not know that?"

"That's pretty basic!" the Pixie on his shoulder chittered. "You're some dumb demons."

Cool growled.

"We got lost, okay." Zett folded his arms across his chest. "Teleportation is hard stuff. I bet you wouldn't do any better."

"Could too," Pixie snapped back.

"Yeah? Prove it." As Pixie lapped into silence, frustration evident on her face, Zett grinned. "Thought so. C'mon, Setsuna, let's go find a terminal. I can probably work us into Makai from there."

"'Probably'...?" Setsuna narrowed his eyes for a moment, then sighed. "Well, I guess you are the demon, not me."

"You're not a demon?" Pixie blinked. "Oh! You're half, like Naoki here. ...But not exactly the same. How did you get to be half demon?"

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Uh, my father is a demon and my mother is a human? How else do you get to be half anything?"

"You don't want to know," Naoki grumbled.

Sensing the truth of that statement, Setsuna went on, "Thanks for the help. We'll just make our own way from here."

Still annoyed, Pixie said, "You probably won't even make it to a terminal. The demons around here are strong and all you've got is a kid half-demon, a Cerberus, and-"

"Beelzebub," Zett said.

"-and Beelzeshiiiiit." Pixie zipped behind Naoki to hide from Zett's view. "I didn't mean that! I just thought since you looked so dumb that you were actually a dumb demon! Wait, that doesn't help me either...!"

As Naoki snorted, Zett said, "I do not look _dumb_! It's a disguise!"

"C'mon, Zett, let's just go." Setsuna tugged on his arm. "You never win this argument."

"But-!" Zett sighed. "Fine, I'm going. See you never." He began to stomp off, with Setsuna and Cool following some distance behind.

Pixie huffed, then calmed down a bit. "-y'know, we have really bad luck with white-haired half-demons. Think he'll end up stalking us across Tokyo?"

Naoki sighed.

* * *

"You ready?" Zett asked, one hand on the terminal.

Setsuna nodded. "Just send us back already.

"Okay, before I turn this thing on, I'm going to warn you that I only _kind_ of know how this works. I'm assuming you'll end up in one piece, but anyway, here goes!" Zett flipped the switch.

"Why didn't you warn me about that soone-"


End file.
